I'm Here, Kid
by cindylouise91
Summary: Piper has a nightmare. Alex tries to make it up to her. Sweet & cutesy.
1. Chapter 1

_There he was. His bloodshot eyes, tired and puffy from driving. Speeding, like a rocket down the highway. His hands clenching the steering wheel, knuckles white. Furious. Enraged at his fiancé, the woman who broke his heart. He was going to do something; he was going to teach her how upset he was to have been betrayed._

"Piper! PIPER!"

_Oh, god. There he was, pacing through the halls, trying to find her. His fists swinging by his side, his breathing heavy. No one was standing in his way. He needed to find her, or the raven-haired bitch who ruined everything._

"Shhhh, Piper! It's ok, I'm here kid. Shh, no one's going to hurt you. I've got you. You're safe." Piper sat straight up in bed, gasping at the sudden shock of being awoken in the dead of night. Cool hands were running up and down her arms, she could feel the presence of someone kneeling close to her bunk.

"Oh, Alex!" Piper cried, bowing her head and covering her face with her hands. She felt hot. She could hear snoring but knew she had probably woken others up with her nightmare.

"Look at me," Alex demanded, her tone persistent yet soft. Piper turned her head and sighed deeply, looking into the green orbs that were swimming with concern. She took Piper's hand in hers and brought it to her lips, kissing her palm gently.

"I love you, kid. Scoot over, Fischer's on duty." Piper gladly made room for her, shifting as close to the wall as she could but still facing Alex. Fischer's footsteps could be heard, but she chose to look the other way when Piper had her nightly outbursts. They figured she'd rather turn a blind eye for the sake of peace and quiet during the night shift.

"Mmm. I'll gladly leave my incredibly lavish bed to come do this," Alex whispered seductively, allowing her hands to roam under Piper's shirt and over her hips. Both were facing each other, pressed close. The dim lighting allowed them to see each other.

"Lavish? Ha." Piper chuckled, gazing at Alex's sleepy face. Her eyes had dark circles under them, but she was gorgeous. Her pale skin contrasted sharply with her black hair. It looked thinner than usual to Piper. Her face was clean of any makeup. She looked almost…more vulnerable without her eyeliner. Her eyebrow raised expectantly at Piper.

"Come on, kid. Please talk to me? Was it, um, Larry again?" Piper caught the subtle hesitation to say his name. She just nodded, tears filling her eyes and threatening to brim over. She hated how difficult it was to hide her emotions. Even if she hadn't started to cry, Alex could read her like a book. Always could.

Instead of pushing her to explain, she just turned Piper around so her back was to her. With one arm snaked around her waist and the other nudged underneath Piper's neck, she pulled her in close and kissed the back of her neck softly. And again. And again.

"Mmmm. Alex. You're gonna have to stop that…" Piper murmered.

"Well, I guess I'll just have to settle…" Alex whispered, a grin on her face. She slowly moved her hand under Piper's shirt and found what she was looking for. Her pointer finger gently circled Piper's nipple, chuckling softly as she heard Piper gasp and begin to writhe. Without warning, Piper suddenly shot her hips backward and moan.

"Okay kid, none of that," Alex chuckled, allowing her hand to just rest against her chest over Piper's shirt. She heard an indignant grunt which made her smile wider.

Silence filled the air. It was a sweet, cozy silence for Alex and she began to drift off. The sound of squeaky bunk springs, shifting bodies, snoring, and the occasional cough lulled her to sleep. Several moments later, she woke to feel Piper's body tense and curl inwards, almost as if she was trying to get into the fetal position.

"Shhhh. Pipes, wake up. I'm here," Alex gently whispered, moving her hand to run through Piper's blonde hair.

"It's Larry. Oh, god. He is just so angry. It scares me. He's never, ever been this upset. It's making me anxious. I feel like he may just march in here and…well…I don't even know."

"Well, kid, that's the one good thing about this place. Keeps us safe from the outside. Just the shitheads inside this godforsaken place we've gotta look out for. Kind of ironic, don't you think?"

"Mhm. Gotta…" Piper let out a long, loud yawn, "…protect myself from hot lesbians. From ones who insist on crawling into bed with me."

Alex just laughed softly. God, how she loved this woman. She just hated her nightmares.

"Alex?"

"Yeah?"

"Thanks. For being here."

Alex just smiled and pulled Piper closer. She rubbed Piper's arm gently up and down until both of them began to doze off to sleep.

When Piper woke up the next morning, the missed the feeling of Alex pressed up next to her. She must have snuck away before guard change. As she got out of bed, she decided to hurry into the bathroom while others were still snoring away. She knew she still had a few moments before the bathroom would begin to crowd with grumpy prisoners. She gathered up her shower things and hurried into the bathroom.

To her surprise, Alex was already wrapped up in a towel leaning against the wall. Her hair was dry. Piper gave her a quizzical look.

"Decided to spend a little extra time with you this morning, kid. Saw you start to wake up as I was heading in and didn't want to…arouse any suspicions." Piper knew exactly what Alex was referring to. Last thing she wanted was for either of them to get thrown into the SHU for alleged lesbian activity. But she'd risk it on this early morning with Alex. It gave her a thrill.

Alex was the first one in, and she turned the water on slowly, allowing it to gradually wet her body. She hated shocking her body to the cold showers. She figured by now she'd be used to it. Piper, on the other hand, hopped in quickly. The cold took her breath away as it did every morning. She giggled and clutched Alex, wrapping her shaking arms around her. Alex kissed her head and swayed them back and forth, holding each other and shivering as the cold water fell. Piper grinned, realizing how simultaneously this was so pathetic yet so romantic.

"Get much more sleep? I'm worried about you." Alex whispered. Piper ignored the question, instead reaching over to grab the shampoo. It was a brand new bottle she'd bought from the commissary. It was some cheapo brand with a scent called Strawberry Fields. She'd bought it because it seemed like the total opposite of Litchfield Penitentiary. She squeezed some out and dumped it on her head and began to suds it. Before it was properly washed out she squeezed shampoo onto Alex's head.

"I'm not sleeping well. You know that, babe," she said quietly. She was careful to keep the soap out of Alex's face as she washed her beautiful dark hair. Alex dipped her head back and breathed in deeply, enjoying the smell of the shampoo. It was the little things she was learning to enjoy. Something she obviously took for granted before prison. She frowned as she realized smelling shampoo wasn't the only thing with her in that moment she had previously taken for granted.

"I know…I just wish there was something I could do. Crawling into your bed, only when Fischer's on duty, after you've made it clear from two cells away that you're having a nightmare doesn't seem helpful enough," Alex said while rising her head under the sputtering shower head. Piper moved back to let her finish up. She crossed her arms and bent slightly, trying to warm up. There wasn't too much she felt she could say. Her nights for the past week had been plagued with dreams of Larry seeking revenge after finding out about her and Alex. And…she had chosen her. Larry was dumbfounded. So was Piper. And Alex, for that matter.

"You help. Trust me," Piper grinned, tilting her head up to kiss Alex softly. That didn't last for long. Alex had her pinned against she shower wall in seconds, demanding her kisses with passion. The had to peel off of each other once they heard other inmates yell for their turn for the shower. Alex groaned as she looked over Piper.

"I heart you, kid."

Piper just smiled at her, thankful that she had her back in her life. Despite the circumstances, despite the conditions, despite the tension it caused in every other aspect of her life outside of prison. She was grateful to have Alex Vause back.

"No, please. Get away from her!" Alex was shouting from her bunk. Her flimsy blanket was on the floor, her hair was wild, and she woke with the fear of not realizing where for was for a moment. She felt around blindly for her glasses. She felt a warm hand instead.

"Pipes?" She whispered, breathless.

"Shhh. Pornstache is patrolling so I don't think I can join you, but I'll wait until you fall back asleep. Go back to sleep, baby. I'm okay," Piper spoke softly, grabbing Alex's hand and rubbing her thumb back and forth. She remember fondly when Alex was sick and did this to her. It was the spark that felt like a changing point.

"What makes you think I was dreaming about you?" Alex smirked, trying to make light of the situation. Piper chose not to answer.

"Remember the night in Phnom Phen, when you ate all that bad sushi and I had to hold your hair back? That was when the tips were still blue, if I remember correctly-"

"Let's not reminisce on the food poisoning, or the hair. Do you want me to have another nightmare? God, woman," Alex teased, reaching one of her hands out to cup Piper's chin. "You're the one that needs sleep. Please go back to bed. I love having you here, but I'm not usually the one needing bedside assistance to chase the monsters away."

"Go back to sleep, my love," Piper yawned, resting her head against the side of Alex's pillow. She knew she wouldn't risk falling asleep here; her knees were already going numb. Just until she knew Alex was asleep.

The minutes crept by as Piper knelt by Alex's bedside, gently stroking her hair. As she listened for her breathing slow and even out, she took the time to practice one of the meditation exercises Jones had taught her. Something about emptying her mind by silently repeating the phrase, "_be formless, like water_." After thirty seconds of trying that, all she thought about was her shower that morning with Alex. How wonderful and comforting it was to have her by her side. Her mind drifted off to the showers and baths she enjoyed with Alex years ago. In the New York apartment, god she had loved that bathroom. Or the extravagant hotels with their lavish tubs, or the rustic showers when they traveled to southeast Asia. It didn't matter where they were. They bathed together. And it was usually followed by-

"Back to your bunk, Chapman!" Mendez harshly whispered through the dark, fed up with inmates disregarding sleeping arrangements. Piper silently cursed, hoping Alex didn't wake. She gently removed her hand from her grasp, careful to move as slowly as possible. She felt Mendez watching her as she made her way back to her bunk, careful to ease into her bed so the springs didn't squeak. She saw Mendez walk towards the other side of the room. All she wanted was to go lay with Alex and cuddle her up, chase all the bad dreams away. She hated that she now had nightmares _for her. _How counterproductive.

As the light hit her face and the bunks started to slowly buzz with movement and quiet talking, Piper hopped out of bed and made her way to the bathroom. She felt lighter than air. It was the best night of sleep she'd had in a while. Alex was dozing soundly in her bed, mouth slightly open. Piper stopped and stared, an adoring smile plastered on her face. She could hear Alex snoring ever so faintly, and it made her heart skip a beat. She was so cute, and clearly zonked out. It made her heart happy. Piper supposed they would just have to keep the monsters away from each other. Deciding to let her sleep, she made her way over to the showers to begin the day.

****Sorry, that was kind of an awkward ending. Just wanted it to be cute and light. Hope you enjoyed it!**


	2. Chapter 2

"G'morning, Al," Piper smiled as she sat down across from her at lunch. She knew Alex had slept through breakfast. As much as she didn't like her not eating, she was glad to know she had gotten a little extra time to sleep.

Alex sighed deeply as she sat down. Her tray was filled a little higher than usual with food. Piper was glad the people in the kitchen seemed to notice she had missed a meal.

"I hate laundry. Have I ever mentioned how much I fucking hate laundry?" Alex groaned, cracking her neck before she started to eat. Piper just smiled at her. She felt like she had when she first met Alex over a decade ago. There was just something about her.

"Why ah you looking ah me like that?" Alex managed to ask, her mouth full of food. Piper just shook her head as she started to eat her lasagna. How she craved Larry's lasagna, the kind he'd make on special occasions when Piper was too tired or busy to cook. It was one of three or four things he knew how to make, but it was good. Usually after he cooked Piper would give him the option of either letting her do the dishes or take a long bubble bath together. He almost always chose the latter. They'd giggle and run into their bathroom and they would make love in the tub. He'd do the dishes and then snuggle up with her on their couch for a while as they both read. It was always sweet getting to distress with him. Thinking of Larry made her sad. She was glad she had finally made a decision. Glad it was Alex, but sad that meant she lost Larry. She wondered if she called him in a few weeks he would pick up. She wondered if she'd ever even see him again.

She felt Alex's leg rub against hers. The physical contact was comforting. She looked up.

"What's wrong? I can tell something's bothering you." Alex asked genuinely, keeping her leg pressed against Piper's.

"Oh, just missing real food. And, ya know, a good friend."

Alex paled. Her leg moved from Piper and her eyes darted back down to her food.

"Hey. None of that. Did you hear what I called him? A _friend_. I think what we have trumps friendship, don't you think?" Piper said softly. Alex just shrugged and dipped her bread in her lasagna. Piper missed the contact. She slowly reached her hand down to rest it on Alex's knee.

"Chapman! Paws off." Mendez barked as he perused the tables. Piper rolled her eyes and moved her hands to her lap.

"Look, I'm not going to pretend like I enjoy hearing about him. But I get it. You were fucking engaged, I understand that. It's just hard. I'm putting my heart out on the line, Pipes. I love you, so goddamn much. I'm just scared you'll break my heart again." Alex said all of this with such an intense gaze it just left Piper stunned. She didn't know what to say.

They both sat in silence as they finished eating. Nicky had joined them at some point but was enjoying her food too much to talk. As lunch was ending, Piper decided to walk Alex back down to the laundry room.

"How about a back massage after work? Chapel? I can tell you need one."

"I'd be so okay with that. I remember your messages. God, I haven't let anyone try since you, kid." Alex smiled at her fondly. Girls pushed past them to get into the room, but Piper didn't want to leave yet.

"Hey, I'm gonna work on this. On…getting you to trust me again. I'm not leaving, Alex. I love you. I can't survive in here without you."

"How about out there?" Piper knew what Alex was referring to. She didn't know how long Alex's sentence was, but she needed her to trust that she would wait for her.

"You'll just have to trust me. Please don't overthink it, Alex. I've changed. I'm not the same naïve, 23 year old Piper you used to know. I'm still a selfish bitch who has screws up and says stupid shit, but I'm working on it."

"And I'm not the same self-centered, work-driven bitch you used to know. I have a hard time trusting…and I guess I am still pretty self-centered, but I'll work on it too." Alex smirked.

Piper kissed Alex's temple and turned on her heel, hurrying back up to work before Luschek had any reason to report her missing. Before she headed up the stairs, she turned around and saw Alex standing there, arms crossed over her chest and a grin on her face. Piper blew her a kiss and chuckled as Alex pretended to catch it.

"Oh. My. Fucking. God. Piper, I swear if you stop I'm gonna kick your ass," Alex groaned. Her shirt was discarded on the steps of the chapel and Piper's hands were running down her back, teasing out knots and rubbing out her muscles. Piper felt herself grow with heat at the softness of Alex's skin. She was laying face down on the ground, arms crossed under her head. She was making noises that Piper could barely handle. She chuckled as she thought how inappropriate they probably sounded right now.

"Don't mind me, ladies. Just warming up," Yoga Jones called out as she entered the chapel. Piper silently cursed. This eliminated any chance of the massage turning into something else.

"Alex, your back is in terrible shape. Do you spend a lot of time bending over?"

"It's having to reach back into those machines all the time. And there's no seat for me in there anymore, I'm standing all day. My feet hurt even more than my back…"

"Ugh, don't even think about it," Piper laughed.

"I'll give you a foot massage in exchange for this."

Piper dragged her fingernails down Alex's sides and got a low growl in response. She smirked and let her fingernails roam under Alex's ribcage and circle her breasts.

"Kid, it's gonna have to be your turn soon if you don't want things to get real awkward for Jones…" Alex murmured.

Piper laughed and moved off of Alex, handing her her shirt.

"Only one condition to this, kid. Socks on." Piper laughed as she leaned her back against the altar and Alex grabbed her legs, pulling them to her lap. Piper had to hold in the moan as Alex started to massage them. She worked up her calves and smirked when she saw the reaction she was getting from Piper. Her eyes were shut and her mouth was open, trying hard to not make loud noises. It just felt so _good._

"Now that ya'll are nice and limbered up, how about joining me for a little meditation?" Yoga Jones called over several minutes later.

"Sure, I wouldn't mind releasing a little, uh, frustration," Alex grinned, giving Piper the same look she used to give her when she was feeling turned on.

"Uh…yeah. Meditation. Emptying the mind, right? That would probably be good for me right about now," Piper stammered, climbing to her feet. She helped Alex up. Before they joined Jones, Alex leaned down and gave Piper a kiss that left her breathless. Piper's cheeks were flushed and Alex's eyes were half-lidded.

"C'mon, kid. Can't wait to see your cute ass in some downward dog," Alex laughed, pulling Piper along. She didn't miss the opportunity to smack Alex's butt as she ran past her, the happiest she'd been in some time.

She'd take yoga and foot massages in prison over delicious lasagna and luxurious baths in her New York apartment. And she was more than okay with that.

**Thank you for the reviews, friends! They're appreciated and help motivate me to write more. Please check out my new OITNB story as well!**


	3. Chapter 3

**A million thank you's to those who have left a review! It does indeed motivate one to write more, huh? ;) Enjoy!**

* * *

"Chapman, you're late," grunted Luschek, his face looking surlier than usual. Nicky looked up from the wires she was untangling, her eyes widening. Piper had raced there as soon as she could, feeling like she was on cloud nine. Her sweet morning shower with Alex had caused them to both miss breakfast. They had split a Twix bar and ran off to their perspective work places, smirking about the secret they both had.

"I'm sorry, there was-"

"You're in the cage today," he interjected, his arm pointed towards the fenced in rectangle that would house her in there like an animal. Sitting in there was literally the last thing she wanted to do today, and there was already one of the suburb girls in there.

"Can't I work on the light switches-" Piper started, frustrated that the girl who was in there smirked and left her position in the cage.

"Are you arguing with me, Chapman? Get your ass in there." Piper sighed in defeat. There wasn't anything she could do.

Luschek began sending them out to fix various things, always keeping a couple of girls back in the room. After Piper had distributed various tools, she began to reorganize the wrenches. She debated whether she should do it by size, brand, or quality. God, this was going to be a slow day.

As lunchtime rolled around, Piper began to get antsy. Most of the girls had left on their own as the time approached, but Luschek hadn't dismissed her yet. Once five minutes had past when she would normally leave, Piper debated saying something. She wondered where Alex was sitting, worried she wouldn't get to have lunch with her. Nicky had been one of the first to leave and her tools were turned in long before Piper suspected she would be late to lunch, so it wasn't as if Nicky could relay to Alex that Luschek was just being a douche.

Another several minutes passed before Piper's stomach let out gurgle. "Um, sir, would it be alright if I went to lunch? I missed breakfast…" Piper noticed that he didn't even turn to look at her. He slowly walked around the tables, making sure all the lights were turned off. Painstakingly slow. Piper gritted her teeth, resisting the urge to say something.

Piper's stomach rumbled again. He chuckled to himself, clearly enjoying his power trip. Finally he turned his gaze to her and ran his hand through his unruly hair.

"You know, I've had a pretty shitty weekend. I think what would brighten my day would be rearranging the tools the opposite direction. Everything hung up just the way it is now…but going the other way. It'll probably take you a while, so I'd take advantage of that lunch break," he spat, walking towards her as he spoke. His eyes looked like they had darkened a few shades.

"Must've had a pretty shitty weekend.." Piper murmered, her anger threatening to bubble over.

"One more word, Chapman," Luschek was directly in front of the cage now. Piper turned and began taking down every tool. She knew this would take her a long, long time. His gaze was trained on her every move, but she refused to play into his games. It was an excruciating hour. Luschek had moved to his desk and ate his lunch. Girls filed in, but Piper refused to turn around unless one of them had a tool to turn in. She cursed out loud when she realized she hadn't accounted for several of the bigger tools, which messed the order up.

* * *

"You doing alright, Chapman?" Nicky whispered as she stood by the cage door towards the end of the work period. She hoisted the sawzall up as Piper turned to answer.

"This was completely unwarranted. I was 30 seconds late today." Piper muttered, taking the saw from Nicky.

"I bet his girlfriend dumped him. Maybe he's jealous he hasn't got a ladylove like you, College," Nicky smirked. Piper's heart fluttered at the mention of Alex. She missed her. Piper found the hook she'd nailed in for that specific saw.

"Whatever's got him pissed earned me – "

"Shit, Chapman, watch out!"

The nail had come loose, ripping the sawzall down from the wall. As Piper had reached to catch it, the cutting blade made contact her palm and left a small yet deep puncture wound. The heavy tool fell to the floor with a deafening noise, parts of the plastic shaft breaking off.

"_Shit_! That fucking hurt!" Piper yelled, not really caring how much of a ruckus she was causing. Luschek stormed over, digging for his keys to unlock the cage door. Several inmates came closer to see what had happened. Nicky winced, looking at Piper's cut.

"Damn girl, you need that shit wrapped. Luschek, let me walk her to the clinic?"

"You broke our best sawzall, Chapman. I'm writing you up for that. Finish putting the tools away and then get the hell out of here." Luschek picked up the broken tool and went to lock it up in his desk.

Piper was seething. "Turn in your damn tools!" It was almost dinnertime and she had had it. The pain in her hand was making her nauseous and she just wanted to bandage it up before she got more blood on her khakis. Nicky went around, trying to round up the girls who were finishing up. When all of them were accounted for, Nicky took Piper by the arm and quickly walked her down the hall towards the clinic. Once they got there, Piper tried to calm herself down. She was pissed beyond belief.

"Hey, can you go let Alex know what happened so she isn't freaking out?" Piper murmured to Nicky. She winked and headed back towards the cafeteria for dinner. One inmate was being seen and another was waiting. Piper cursed under her breath as she sat down to wait. All the had to look at where old diagrams of vaginas. When it was finally her turn to be seen, the nurse didn't really ask questions as she cleaned and bandaged the wound. By the time she was ready to head back, dinner was over and most people had made their way to the rec room. Piper just headed straight for her cube.

* * *

Lying down on her bunk, she kicked her shoes off and curled towards the wall, trying hard not to acknowledge how hungry she was. One angry tear slid down her face as she thought about how terrible her day had been. Selfishly, she hoped Alex would come looking for her. Since Nicky had surely found her and let her know where she'd been, she wasn't worried about having to explain anything. Piper just wanted Alex to comfort her. She laid there for a couple of minutes before she felt someone against her back. Cool arms reached out to pull her close against them. Piper lifted her head as one curled under her neck. She lay back down and sighed, content to have her near. She didn't feel the need to turn over. Neither of them spoke for a while.

As Piper's stomach gurgled for the hundredth time that day, Alex's fingers dipped under her shirt and caressed her midsection gently. "I brought you some food. I also was able to get some snacks from a few other people," she whispered softly in her ear, sweeping a lock of blond hair behind her ear. Piper smiled and turned, nuzzling her face into Alex's delectable neck. She kissed her skin with an open mouth, smirking as she heard Alex's throat rumble. "How'd you manage that?"

"I have my ways. How about it, kid?" Piper nodded and sat up, wincing as she used her injured hand to support her. "Oh, Pipes…" Alex's voice caught in her throat, taking Piper's bandaged palm into her hand. After examining what she could, she held it reverently and laid a feather-light kiss onto her palm. Piper's cheeks flushed. Alex leaned over to kiss her temple, whispering for her to stay there. Within seconds she had come back, her arms loaded with food.

"Holy cow, Alex. How did you get all of this?"

"I told you, I have my ways. Despite what you may think, I can be quite charming," she said with a coy smile, handing Piper her favorite chips first. She finished the bag in record time, reaching for the dinner roll that was wrapped up in a napkin. It reminded her of the time Alex had delivered bread to her when Red was starving her out. Alex sat on the foot of her bed, flipping through the pages of a magazine. Every so often Piper would catch her watching her out of the corner of her eye, making sure she ate every crumb.

"Okay, three bags of Doritos down and all the stuff you managed to sneak out of dinner. Can you just come snuggle with me now?" Piper made her pouty face.

"Nope. Eat everything. You missed breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Eat." Her voice was stern. She lifted her eyebrow expectantly at Piper, making it clear she wasn't taking no for an answer. Picking up a rice krispie treat, she tossed it into Piper's lap and returned to her magazine. One hand drifted over to Piper's knee and circled her thumb over it as she read.

Once Piper had consumed more junk food than she had thought possible, she stretched out on her bed and put her head in Alex's lap. "Thanks for taking care of me, Al," she whispered softly, breathing in the scent of her shirt. Alex's smell…something like a combination of honey and clean soap, made her mood calm even more. Alex glanced down, put her magazine on the floor and began stroking Piper's hair.

"Anything for you, kiddo. I was worried about you all day. Is there anything else I can do?" She asked innocently, concern still present in her eyes. Piper decided to milk it for all she could, remembering how she'd do this when she was sick.

"Can you lay with me?" She used her most pathetic voice she could muster up, flashing Alex her puppy dog face again.

Alex laughed out loud, catching on to Piper's pity party but withholding any wisecracks. She glanced over at the bubble, making sure no eyes were on them as she pulled Piper down into her arms once again.

"I'm sorry you had such a rotten day, babe," she said in her adorably raspy voice. Piper nestled deep into the sanctuary of her strong arms, closing her eyes and just content to be. Alex planted several firm kisses on the top of her head and brought one leg to rest over top of Piper's protectively. Piper laced their fingers together and squeezed, nonverbally thanking Alex for being there.

Neither of them paid any attention to anyone else who walked by. They lay there, tangled up in each other's worlds. Content to just be.

**Okay, I want an Alex Vause to do this to me when I have crappy days. Hope you all enjoyed!**


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